The second half of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's more than two-decade reign has been a tale of deepening authoritarianism. Analysts say the arrest of the Turkish leader's most popular political opponent on contested charges may be its most dangerous chapter to date.

Turkey’s president has accused the political opposition of “sinking the economy” during the country’s largest protests in more than a decade.

Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul and a popular figure, had boasted jokingly that he was the only person to have beaten Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party in three local elections